Improvement in ore-mills



UNITED S'r-A'rns Free.

HORACE K. DRAKE, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN CRE-MILLS.

Specification forming part `of Letters Patent No. l92y747, dated July 3, 1877; application filed May 7, 1877.

To all 'whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that l, HORACE K.` BRAKE, of

l Brooklyn, county of Kings and State of New referen ce being had tothe accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form part of this specification.

This invention has for its object to separate from what is termed cement, which is cornposed of stones, gravel, sand, and a certain lava which combines and holds the parts in Y one hard conglomerate mass,l the gold that is contained therein; and it consists in a process of separating and scouring the gold-that is to say, the sulphur or rust upon the gold is removed at the same time, leaving the same susceptible to the action of quicksilver, or any other known process by which the same is gathered or collected, when being exposed to the action of such ingredient or ingredients.

Heretofore this cement has been Worthless, in a iinancial point of view, owin g to the small quantity of gold therein contained, and the inability of any device heretofore used to practically work the same in such quantities and in such time as that themineral thus extracted will be sufficient compensation for the labor and machinery necessary to obtain the same. While there are untold quantities of this ma-V terial on the Pacific coast, it has proven before this invention to be worthless, owing to the facts above stated.

In order to carry out my invention I use a cylinder composed on its outer periphery of a series of parallel bars extending the entire length of said cylinder, the whole being slightly inclined from the end where the material is fed to the opposite end, where the stones, after being subjected to the process, are delivered. This cement, after being blasted or otherwise broken, is fed into one end of the cylinder in large quantities, and the cylinder, being rotated, breaks up and separates the sand, vgravel, gold, and stones. The gold, sand, and finer portions of gravel fall downward between the bars, while the larger portions of material gravel, and gold, thus separating the gold,

sand, and fine gravel, and at the same time scouring or cleaning the rust or sulphur from the gold, leaving the same free to be further collected in any known or desired manner.

By this means it will be observed that a large quantity of material now entirely worthless can be worked up and used at a great profit to the owners of the material, the operator, and the country.

It will be understood that the device used must be made unusually strong, as in use, to make the operation successful, there would be a continual feed and continual discharge, and

the machine would necessarily support tentons, more or less, of the cement all the time when in use. The device in use in carrying this into effect is hereinafter more fully described.

In the annexed drawing, Figure 1 represents a longitndinalvertical section, and Fig. 2 a transverse vertical section of a device used in carrying out my invention.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts.

A represents the outer case or shell; B, the inclined bottom, with a lower central discharge-opening, O. D represents the hopper or feed-spout at the upper elevated end ofthe cylinder; and E the discharge-spout at the lower or depressed end of the cylinder. The cylinder is composed of two heads, F F, in

which is inclosed a series of parallel bars, G, A so that the bars are iirmly clamped and held between the heads.

H represents a central shaft, having upon one end a band-rim or gear, I, and suitably connected to a proper frame-work, J, and driving mechanism K L.

The lower portion of the discharge-seat terminates in a gold-saver, M. This is composed of an inclined conveyer, N, provided with a series of upright partitions, a. 0n the inside lower portion ofthe cross-partitions b is placed a bed of quicksilver, b', While above the same is arranged a series of agitators, c.

In use, while the sand, gravel, and gold fail from the cylinder on the inclined bottom B, and pass down into the gold-saver, through which a current of Water is passing, the entire mass falls down upon the lower side of the partition a, is agitated by the device c all or nearly all of the gold is retained by the quicksilver, While the force of the Water carries the sand, &c., over the partition a into the next compartment, Where theoperation is repeated,

until all the gold is collected and the other matter discharged.

It will thus be seen that this invention saves a vast amount of valuable metal which, owing to the state of the cement in Which it has been inclosed, has been heretofore of little orno' value.

I am aware that revolving cylinders for separating ore, screening coal, &c., have heretof'ore been used, and I do not therefore claim such as my invention 5 but What I claim is- The process of utilizing cement by rendering the gold mingled therewith capable of amalgamating With mercury, which consists in removing the rust from the gold and separating it from other impurities, by disintegrating the mass and causing a mutual attrition of the particles against themselves by revolving the mass, as described.

HORACE KINGMAN BRAKE.

Witnesses:

MARsToN NILEs, S. J. CULLEN. 

